6 features of India’s first electric AC double-decker bus to run on Mumbai streets soon

The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST)’s latest fleet of India’s first AC double-decker electric buses are all set to run on the streets of Mumbai this week. BEST received possession of these buses late Sunday evening. Know its features.

The first AC double-decker electric bus in India will shortly begin service in Mumbai. The e-bus joined the fleet of the BEST. The Pune-based Automotive Research Association of India (ARAI) has granted it a fitness certificate. The Switch company's e-bus, which was introduced by union minister Nitin Gadkari in August 2022, had already arrived at that point.

According to BEST General Manager Lokesh Chandra, the city will witness the commercial debut of the first AC double-decker e-bus on the Kurla bus depot to Bandra Kurla Complex route. The first batch is expected to be of 10 of these buses and gradually its numbers will increase. The cost of each bus is Rs 2 crore and each bus can carry around 90 passengers.

Here are its features: 

• Electronic indicators, a CCTV camera, and a tap-in/tap-out capability for digital ticketing will all be available on the bus.
• In contrast to the current double-decker bus, this one will have two staircases.
• With a 231-kWh battery, the Switch model EiV22 can go up to 250 kilometres.
• While a full charge takes 80 minutes, the e-bus can increase its range by 100 kilometres in just 45 minutes.
• Each vehicle has a capacity of up to 90 people.
• Its body is of composite aluminium and is more stable as 300-400 kilograms of batteries are part of the chassis and close to the tyres.

Nearly 40 non-AC double-deckers that run on diesel are now in the BEST fleet but will be phased out by the end of June. Once the first bus arrives, the BEST engineers too will inspect the bus for the next couple of days before starting it for public use.

(Photo: @cbdhage | Twitter)